Biography:

Valérie Maltais has always enjoyed inline skating as a hobby, but in 2014 she decided to pursue it competitively and won the Canadian title. She then attended the Festival Olympico Panamericano in Puebla, Mexico, where she finished 4th in the 15km, 6th in the 10,000m points race and 9th in the 1000m. She went on to dominate the 2015 Canadian Trials, winning all six events. Better known as a short track speed skater, Maltais made her Olympic debut at Vancouver 2010 in just her second season of senior international competition. She finished 14th in her only event, the 1500m. Four years later she competed in all four events at Sochi 2014 and won silver with the 3000m relay. She also set the Olympic record in the 1000m. She then won bronze in the 1000m and silver in the 3000m relay at the 2014 ISU World Championships where she also finished third overall. Maltais has now competed at seven straight ISU World Championships, beginning in 2009, earning five medals in the 3000m relay. In 2012 she won her first individual world championship medal, taking bronze in the 1000m and finishing second overall. Maltais was Speed Skating Canada’s Short Track Female Athlete of the Year in 2012 and 2014.

GETTING TO KNOW…

Family: Father Gerald Maltais and mother Martine Simard… Getting into the Sport: Started speed skating at age 6… Had been figure skating for two years but her mother noticed short track at the Olympic Winter Games and put her in that because it was more competitive… She loved it from the first time on the ice; as a figure skater she had always wanted to race her coach… Outside Interests: Studying nutrition at Cégep College de Maisonneuve in Montreal… Enjoys movies, cooking, gardening, travelling… Odds and Ends: Always travels with her compression stockings and headphones… Nickname: Vale… Collects Starbucks mugs for her father… Favourite quote: “Who lives without folly, is not as wise as he thinks.” – Duke of Rouchfoucauld…